Blog

NBC UNIVERSAL plans to launch NBC Direct this November. The service allows consumers to download NBC shows for free, for one week immediately following broadcast. Downloaded shows will contain commercials that cannot be skipped, and will expire after one week. NBC U plans to offer paid, commercial-free downloads by mid-2008. ABC has struck a deal Continue Reading →

GOOGLE will announce Gadget Ads today. The new service will allow advertisers to run widget-like ads across the AdSense network. Gadgets will allow advertisers to gain interactive, multimedia placement on sites. They can include video, chat, games, and more. Widgets are exploding in popularity on the web, reaching 48% of online users. COMCAST CEO Brian Continue Reading →

FOX has drawn much criticism over its decision to censor certain parts of this Sunday’s Emmy broadcast. The network “bleeped” Sally Field’s acceptance speech when she used the word “goddamn.” However, a 2004 ruling by the FCC specifically declared that “goddamn” was not indecent. Comedian Ray Romano received similar treatment, when the network dropped the Continue Reading →

BRIGHTCOVE has decided to stop developing its YouTube-like Internet video portal, and shift its focus entirely to white-label video services for content publishers. The portal will now “run itself” at Brightcove.tv, while Brightcove.com is retained for growing the core technology business. Brightcove technology serves video on some of the Internet’s top destinations, including The Wall Continue Reading →

On September 10, 2007 the Today show added a fourth hour of programming. There wasn’t too much fanfare as the industry and most of the audience knew it was coming. It will be produced by my good friend and industry superstar, Amy Rosenblum and I’m sure her team will not disappoint. You can expect an Continue Reading →

VERIZON has filed a lawsuit looking to overturn the FCC’s rules for the upcoming 700 MHz spectrum auction. The lawsuit claims that the auction rules are “arbitrary and capricious,” and overstep the powers of the Commission. The auction is scheduled to begin on January 16, 2008. VIACOM is finally getting into the social-networking game. This Continue Reading →

HULU will acquire MOJITI, a Beijing-based startup. Mojiti allows users to annotate videos, leaving comments at specific points for others to see. Its technology will be used extensively on Hulu.com, the joint online venture of News Corp. and NBC Universal. The deal is estimated to be worth $10 million. MYSPACE has signed a deal with Continue Reading →

THE FCC has approved a dual must carry regulation. Cable operators will be required to carry both digital and analog channels of certain local stations for three years following the shutdown of the analog TV signal, which occurs on February 17, 2009. The regulation is considerably less onerous than Chairman Kevin Martin’s push for perpetual Continue Reading →

ABC is seeking partners to more widely distribute its online programming, signaling a change in its go-it-alone strategy. The network is in talks with several web sites, including AOL, Comcast, MSN, and MySpace. ABC isn’t opening up completely, however. It is insisting that all partners use its own video player, to ensure that viewers have Continue Reading →

WARNER BROTHERS will announce 24 new web productions today, in formats ranging from games to episodic online TV. Projects include a neurotic minivan-driving mother who starts a talk show, a puppet show for adults, and a mockumentary about a digital production studio. About 6 additional projects are in development, including an online dating game. The Continue Reading →